Journal

Journal

Judgments, competitions, ratings, and price tags — all are factors appearing to rank wines based on quality. However, ask one person (or even expert) for his or her assessment, and it may vary quite widely from another’s.

For Alex Fullerton, it all began in Burgundy. His father and Proprietor Eric Fullerton tasted his way through the region (and many others) as a young lad, and then brought his son, Alex Fullerton, to the vinous motherland for his 18th birthday.

We love experimenting with new fermentation techniques in an attempt to bring more complexity to our wines. In 2011, Eric Fullerton gifted Alex a single rotator barrel after both had seen one in action at a fellow Willamette Valley winery.

Oregon and sustainability go together like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. When tasting wine around the Willamette Valley, terms like Biodynamic, Salmon Safe, and Organic get mentioned frequently. What sets these terms apart?

Another stunning Willamette Valley vintage is in the books. The 2016 vintage comes on the heels of the opulent 2014 and the structured 2015 vintages. All three produced fruit-forward wines with 2016 providing more elegance and polish with lifted aromatics. All three of these vintages are considered warm years, but 2016 moderated during the summer compared to 2014 and 2015.

Then there is the gamble. Drink or hold. Pull the cork on treasured wines while young, and we receive certain pleasure. But gamble with time, attempt to drink at the pinnacle, and we dance with chance. Perfectly aged wine can elevate the experience to heights sought by many wine lovers. However, we can lose the bet, and find the wine frail, a shell of its once full-potential.

Scientific discovery has enabled winemakers to improve their craft significantly. Prior to the 1860s, brewers and winemakers didn’t know that yeast fermented wine. Fermentation was nearly magical, which may explain the exaltation of fermented beverages in some religious traditions (intoxication also likely elevated these drinks).

Within the broader Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) rests six sub-AVAs. These smaller AVAs represent specific geographic and climactic areas that produce wines unique to that place. Interested parties, typically wineries, must petition the TTB and U.S. Department of Treasury to establish an AVA. The sub-AVAs of the Willamette Valley earned approval in 2005-2006.